Braids for braided rugs



Dec. 23, 1969 A. n. sT. GERMAIN 3,485,135

BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED HUGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 1.7, 195e Dec. 23, 1969 A. R. s'r. GERMAIN 3,485,135

BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED RUGS Filed Jan. 17, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,485,135 BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED RUGS Alfred R. St. Germain, Oxford, Mass., assignor to Oxford Wool Filler Incorporated, Oxford, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Jan. 17, 1968, Ser. No. 698,542 Int. Cl. D04c 1/00; D02g 3/08, 3/36 U.S. Cl. 87-6 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a new filler or core for the braids of braided rugs, the new filler comprising a gathered paper and liber or latex, etc., laminate. In the prior art, tillers have been made of an all-waste series of gathered ends. In order to reduce the weight of the finished rug and the cost of the material, it has been proposed to use paper for the filler. Paper, however, is unsatisfatcory for the reason that where the initial bend is made in the rug it bunches and hardens, and the needle is apt to break, and in any event continuous sewing of the paper filler causes such abrasion as to burn and melt the needles.

The prior all-textile waste filler is relatively expensive and the new combined paper and liber or latex filler of the present invention is superior to an all-waste filler because while less expensive, it is more resilient and compacts less on the floor than either all-paper or all-waste fillers. Practically any long or short ber, or waste, synthetics, rubber latex and their wastes, can be utilized in the new filler, whereas before this was not the case, and the new filler makes a softer braid than paper, which shrinks when wet, or all textile fiber waste which is excessively limp.

In addition, braids containing the new liller compacted in the proper manner may be given an oval sectional shape so that the resultant rug can be made flatter and wider with less material, and at the same time the rug will not become as compacted on the door as rugs using all-waste or paper filler braids.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the present filler is made and rolled in a balk FIG. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away illustrating the new filler piror to gathering;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the new ller in the process of being gathered;

FIG. 4 is an end view on an enlarged scale illustrating the new filler braid ready for rug making;

FIG. 5 is a view of a prior art all-waste braid;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of runs of a braided rug made of the new braid, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view looking in the direction of arrow 7 in FIG. 6.

In making braided rugs commercially, it has been the practice to use a number of ends of waste textile fiber material as the ends come from the carding machine,

gathering the ends, and then forming a yarn or braid about the same as a core, resulting in what is called the braid This is illustrated in FIG. 5. A nine-by-twelve rug made of this braided material weighs about thirty-six pounds which would be lighter in weight and less expensive and to this end paper has been suggested but with the disadvantages mentioned above.

This invention contemplates the provision of a filler or core which is comprised of a laminate containing a very light lmy non-woven textile or other fiber waste, latex, etc., layer between two layers of lightweight iilmy paper, e.g., a very light weight tissue. This ller material is made Iby spreading the waste material, as for instance passing the same through a carding machine, or spreading it or spraying it to form a sheet which is indicated at 10 in FIG. 1. Then this sheet is passed between two different paper supplies indicated at 12, 12 laminating the fiber waste and rolling it on an arbor or the like to form a ball. This ball is in reality a roll of the three-ply fiber and paper material.

The ber and paper material is best illustrated in FIG. 2 where, e.g., non-woven textile ber waste material or latex, etc., in the form of a lmy layer is indicated at 16 and the layers of paper are indicated at 18, 18, the paper preferably being the same in each layer. The consistency of the non-woven layer is very iilmy and actually has no strength except just sufficient for maintaining its identity from the spreading area to a point where it can be laminated with the paper. The paper itself is also very inexpensive and may be quite flimsy.

This material in substantially endless form is passed through a conical funnel or the like 20, see FIG. 3, so as to gather it into a kind of a roving material 22 which is then compressed by any means such as indicated at 24, 24 into an oval shape whereupon the outside yarn or .braid is applied to it. It is then ready to be sewed into the runs forming the well known type of braided rug. The compression may be done after the outer yarn or braid has been applied, and this invention relates to tubular braid or regular braid.

In FIG. 4 there is shown an approximation of how this braid looks in section although the view is shown in elevation as a section would undoubtedly serve to confuse the disclosure. In general the three-ply paper and nonwoven textile iber waste material is crinkled or folded in a rather helter-skelter fashion as is indicated at 26 in FIG. 4 and the result is that a very soft but resilient braid is provided as compared with the prior art, FIG. 5, or where paper alone is used. When the braid has been applied, it can be sewed into the usual rug as has been illustrated at 28 in FIG. 6` and since it is oval in form being compacted as by the means 24 in FIG. 3, the rug will have wider runs than normal as indicated at 30 in FIG. 7, but the height of the run will of course be less than would otherwise be the case, e.g., if the braid were made in round fashion.

It has been found that by combining the unwoven textile fiber waste and the paper described, a more resilient material is formed and the finished rug will not become compacted on the floor as fast as rugs using the prior art all-textile fiber waste or paper ller. The new braid is softer and more resilient than paper and it is more resilient than the prior art all-fiber filler braid. t

The material shown in FIG. 2 has a width which is about fifteen or sixteen inches for instance to be received by the conical funnel 20 so that no cutting is required, the process being generally continuous for forming the material and rolling it in the ball 14 and also for thereafter gathering compacting, and applying the cover.

It will be seen that this invention provides a distinctive shape and size style with respect to the braid and with respect to the finished rug made from it. The handle is equivalent to the regular prior art, and due to the new construction it has sufficient stiffness to retain the flat oval shape applied to it, so that the rug may be sewn flat. At the same time it is soft enough so the needle will penetrate through it easily at the bends without breaking, and there is enough lubrication in the new combined paper and textile material so that the needle is lubricated and does not heat unduly.

At the same time however the new braid is also dry enough so that any excess oils are absorbed internally in the paper without any external soiling as sometimes happens with certain fibers in the prior art. Both the new braid and the rug made from it have greater resiliency and therefore longer durability and strength.

Due to the shape the rug can be sewn in about one-half the time necessary in the prior art with either paper or alltextile fiber filling, and also the filler is much more economically distributed which allows less filler to be used than heretofore, thereby reducing the cost of the materials. In addition, the new braid and rugs made from it are not liable to water damage as is the case with paper filler.

I claim:

1. A core material for braid for braided rugs compris ing a layer of non-woven material in a iilmy sheet form and a layer of paper superimposed with respect thereto at a side surface thereof, said layers being gathered into a roving.

2. The core material of claim 1 wherein the non-woven material is fibrous.

3. The core material of claim 1 wherein the non-woven material is fibrous textile waste.

4. The core material of claim 3 including a layer of paper at the other side surface of the sheet of textile fiber waste.

5. The core material of claim 1 wherein the nonwoven material is latex.

6. The core material of claim 1 wherein the paperis tissue.

7. The core material of claim 1 wherein the layers are gathered together into close folds in an elongated mass, forming the core.

8. The method of making braid for braided rugs comprising spreading a layer of non-woven flimsy material applying a layer of imsy paper to at least one side of said layer of non-woven material, gathering the now 1aminated material in a series of close folds, applying pressure to at least one side of the gathered folds substantially attening the same, and applying braiding to the circumference of the core.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,821,582 9/1931 Sackner 87-6 2,107,467 2/1938 Buckley 87-6 2,465,081 3 1949 Fleischer 87-6 2,503,791 4/1950 Boersma 87-6 2,698,269 12/ 1954 Sussenbach.

2,979,982 4/ 1961 Weitzel 87-6 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

